Flooring tool



, April28,1 959 SPQSCHQT l2,884,035

FLOORING Toor.

Filed Dc. 17. 195e I. fl l l l a.

13|A /l *'l lll Qn /la v v 2 /9 INVENTOR. Sam ,P Schaf BY/ any HT ORNEY United States Patent O FLOORING TOOL Sam P. Schut, Sioux Center, Iowa Application December 17, 1956, Serial No. 628,912

1 Claim. (Cl. 145-1) My invention relates to a flooring tool.

An object of my invention is to provide a ooring tool for use on that type of flooring using grooved lumber in which the extending ribs of the lumber are engaged with grooves in adjacent strips, and pertains to a Very simple tool which will insure that the succeeding boards or strips are uniformly and neatly forced into position without the necessity of using extra tools which usually mar or injure the lumber, the tool at the same time assisting in driving the nails which are used -to further secure the strips.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tool which is very simple in construction and which can be manufactured at a very reasonable cost, and `which can be conveniently carried by the carpenter.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool and showing a portion of the flooring in cross section, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.

My invention pertains to a simple carpenters ooring tool which can be used for driving the flooring sections together Without marring of the ooring, etc.

I have used the character to designate the base flooring, the character 11 indicating the usual hardwood ooring of the grooved type having the grooves 12 at one side and the extending ribs or tongues 13 at the other side.

Usually in insuring that the tongues and grooves t properly, it is necessary for the carp-enter to strike against the extending ribs 13 to hammer the strips in place, which results in marring and in itself does not provide a firm and ecient driving effect along sutiicient surface to insure a uniform land snug t of the corresponding tongues and grooves.

My invention comprises an angle member having the longer ange portion 14 which includes the further ange portion 15 at right angles to the portion 14, it being noted from Figure 2 that the portion 14 is of fairly substantial length, and suitably welded at 16 to the portion 2,884,035 ce Patented Apr. 28, 1959 14 is the upwardly extending pipe member 17 which provides a handle and which is of fairly substantial length as shown.

The device is used as shown in the figures, with one edge 18 of the flange 14 being placed above the rib 13 las shown, and with the edge 19 of the flange 15 being placed on the flooring 10, and one hand will grasp the handle 17. Next, a hammer is struck in the direction of the arrow 20 against the flange 15, the hammer being struck as many times as necessary, and in most cases not requiring continual striking, and when the hammer is struck in this manner against the flange 15, the portion 18 will drive the boards 11 together with the ribs )and grooves interengaging as is clearly shown in Figure 1, the length of the ange 14 providing a substantially lengthened surface for this purpose, Without at all marring the surface of the lumber at any point. If desired, the usual nails 21 can vbe driven in the usual manner, this tool also providing the function of simultaneously finishing the complete ldriving of these nails at the same time.

I have found that flooring can be laid very quickly by the use of my device, and it will `be readily obvious that it could also be used for any type of tongue and groove lumber such as siding and the like.

It will now be seen that I have provided the advantages mentioned in the objects of my invention with further advantages being readily |apparent.

Some changes may -be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modiied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

A flooring tool for tongue and grooved lumber comprising an elongated angle member including a first ange, @a second flange at right angles to said rst flange, the free edge of said rst ange being ladapted to bear against a lumber strip above the tongue while the free edge of said second flange bears against a base oor upon which said strips are mounted, whereby Striking against said Second flange will cause tongues and grooves of said lumber to be engaged, an upwardly extending handle member attached to and extending from the outside surface of said rst ilange, said handle comprising a cylindrical pipe in substantial alignment with said second flange, said second flange being of lesser width than said first ange to provide a more direct striking action against said lumber.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 847,272 Ayers Mar. 12, 1907 1,016,383 Wellman Feb. 6, 1912 1,159,963 Landgraf Nov. 9, 1915 1,431,463 Keyzer Oct. 10, 1922 2,718,247 Kalina Sept. 20, 1955 

